Norway’s Pronova to defend Lovaza patent

Pronova BioPharma, which makes diet supplements from fish oil, said U.S. drug group Par Pharmaceutical aimed to launch a generic version of Pronova’s prescription drug Lovaza, sending its shares down. ‘Pronova has full confidence in its intellectual property portfolio protecting Lovaza and will vigorously defend and enforce its patents,’ the Norwegian company said in a statement.

 

Pronova’s Lovaza, branded in Europe and Asia as Omacor, is a dietary supplement based on fish oil, a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids. Pronova said it and its partner GlaxoSmithKline had received notice in a March 17 letter advising it that Par Pharmaceutical had submitted an application to the U.S. food and drug administration (FDA) for approval to market a generic version of Lovaza.

GlaxoSmithKline snapped up U.S. rights to Pronova’s product in 2007 by acquiring Reliant Pharmaceuticals for $1.65 billion.

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